Grip for bowling-balls and the like.



A. l. WATSON.

GRIP FOR BOWLING BALLS AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION min on. 2!. ma.

1,139,827. Patented May 18, 1915.

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specification of Letters Patent. I Pa.tented May 18, 1915.

Application filed October as, iaia. Serial mi. lames.

gfip to be used in connection with bowling a ls and anal-,

gous devices.

. ne object of the resent mvention s to provide a grip or andle WlllCh ma be readily attachedv to a bowling. ball 0 the usual type or of a s ecial type, and detached therefrom so that-t ie ball ma be thrown or delivered with facility and with a degree of recision that assures practically accurate Bowling, by reducing tea minimum the effort and skill which are'now necessary to properl deliver a bowling ball and cause it to travel the desired course upon the alley.

A further object of my invention isthe reduction of a handle or grip, as above s et orth, which may be convementlyheld m the hand of the bowler, which will be simple and economical to manufacturwand which will be so constructed that in throwing or making the delivery of the ball it maybe releascd at any part of the swing sothat it will leave my device with the facility "with which the ordinary. bowling ball, at present in use, leaves the hand when released by the fin 4 ers of the bowler.

i invention is also directed to a grip e'r han le which by its adaptability may be readily emplo e as a carrying medium for tiiansperting owling balls from place to p ace. I

Briefly stated, my invention com rises a rigid member or frame and a relative y movab e member, the latter of which is arranged to grip a bowlinglball and normally retain the same within t e rigid member sothat as the arm of the bowler is swung or. moved in the customary arc-preparatory to delivering the ball, the latter will .be-firmly and securely held against disledgment,;and as the end of theswing is-reachedthelball may be instantly released by a slight movement ef-the movable member, as and for the purposes and in the manner which Wlll be hereinafter more specifically. described.

I shall now receed to describe my inventionwith re erence to the accompanying drawings, WhiChzSl'lOW its application to a bowling ball, but I'would have it understood that my, invention is equally applicable to other'plur oses.

In t ev rawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation partly in seotion showing my invention a plied to a bowling ball. Fig. 2 is a side 9 ovation of the grippin device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a front e evation partly in section showingv a modified arrangement of my' invention, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3.

. Referringnow to the drawings in detail, in which like reference characters are employed to designate similar parts throughout the several views,. 7 indicates a bowling ball which is preferably provided, as herein shown, w1 .diametrically opposed sockets or recesses 8. ,These sockets or recesses may be formedv inany suitablemanner; in the present instance, being made of metal and countersunk'in the surface oflthe ball, and

a of a weight and size which will compensate for the uantity of the material removed from the alls in forming the seats therefor so that the equilibrium of the ball will not be affected.

The handle or ipping device comprises the frame or. fixe member 9, which may be made of any suitable materiahand which is preferably of the configuration shown, though it may,of course, be made in any other desired shape which willsuit the purpose. As'will be e vious from Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings, the side arms of this fixed memberi) are formed with the parallel sides 9 terminatin in a preferably rectanular ortion to w ich is suitably secured a oss 1 to rovide a housin for the plunger 11, as hereinafter explainerfi Ihe'plungers 11 are normally adapted to en%age the sockets 8 as shown in Fig. 1 un er the influence of the spiral springs 12, the ended the springs respectively bearing against the inside of the,boss or housing and the, shoulder 13 f0rmed en the lun ers intermediateof the ends 'thereo leach plungeris prov ded with a slot 14 having a chamfered face which is adapted to be engaged by the projection 15 formed on the; ends of theactuatinmember'16 whiclr is preferably of a reel ient or yielding material, such as spring steel or the like, and which is made to conform to 'the configuration of the frame or fixed member- 9, the head or top portion of the actuating member hein seated within a slot or cut-out por- A tion 17 formed in the head 18 of the frame 9, the under side of the head of the latter being preferably rounded to provide a convenient and positive grip for the hand of the bowler. p p v Under normal conditions, when the plungers 11 are in engagement with the sockets 8 in the ball, the relative parts will be in the position shown in Fig. 1, ,the' projection 15 on the ends of the actuating member 10 abutting the inside of'the boss or housing 10 and the plungers being heldin en agement with the sockets'by the springs 12, t espnng 19 mounted on the pin 20 in the head of the yiciding'member, and seated in the recess 21' formed in the interior of the head of the fixed member or frame 9, servin to maintain the parts in cooperative re ation and add security to the grip, so that under the impulse of the centrifugal force developed during the swinging movement of the arm of the bowler the ball cannot all away or become loosened from the gripping device.

When delivering a ball with my improved device, preferably constructed in the man ner described, as the arm of'ithe bowler reaches the completion of the swing and he is positioned to deliver the ball, the actuating member 16 is compressed b the palm of the hand in engagement with be head 22 thereof overcoming the tension of the spring 19 and causing the projections 15 on the ends thereof to engage with and travel or move downwardl within the slots 14 in the piungers 11 and orce them back against the tension of the spiral springs 12, thereby disengaging them from the sockets Band re: leasing tieball. The position assumed by the parts when the ball is released, is shown in Fig. 8, the outcrends of the piungers protruding through the apertures 23 provided in the respective bosses or housings, the several springs being contractedahd the actuating member lying approximately lwithin t 10 plane of the frame or fixed mem- In order to secure accurac of movement of the sprin arm with relation to the fixed member or rame 9, I have found'it desirabie to provide the studs or pins '24 secured to the frame which move in the guide recesses or slots 25 in the'head of the fixed member or frame 9.

In the modjfie'd'form ,of device shown in Fig. 3, it will be'obse'rved, that in lieu of the spiral 5 )rings 12 I employ a flat spring 528 mounts on 'each side of-eachplunger,

pressure of the hand will serve these springs 26 being suitably fastened to the rigid or frame=member and to the plangers as shown.

It will be seen from the foregoing, taken in conjunction with the accompanying draw ings, that I have;produoed a device which provides a ositiv'e and powerfulgrip for theball an which at the Same time is so constructed, that a comparatively slight to operate the parts and release the ball wherever dcsire While'I' havedescribed my invention with reference to the specific embodiment shown, it is obvious that my device may be used for other pur uses, and that the details of structure ay e changed various ways without departing: from the spirit and scope of m invention.

aving thus described my invention what I claim as' new herein and desire to secure by'Lettei s Patent is 1. A gripping device for bowling balls, embodying a ri 'd yoke adapted to span the ball and provi ed at its extremities w th yieldin ly mounted means to enga 'e with the bal and hold it within the oiie, M i resiliently mounted means carried by said yoke and adapted to engage with said y 1eldingly mounted means, whereby a single movement of saidresiliently mounted means relative to said of theball. I y

' 2. In a device of the character described, the comb ination with a ball, provided with diametrieally'opposed sockets, of a gripping device therefor, said grip ing device comprising a ri '6. member an a resilient member mounte' thereonand movable relamay thereto, means carried by said rigid mem er adapted to en'gage' with the sockets in saidballs, and means on said movable member whereby the actuation of said movable member will operate to withdraw said gnfiagin'g means from the sockets in said yoke will efiect the release 8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a ball, of a gripping device therefor having a rigid member and a relatively movable member, means carried by said rigid member having portions normally adapted to engage with said ball at two points thereof and grip the same, and means for operating said to actuate the said gripping means to withdraw them from engagement with the ball and release the same.

'4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a ball, provided with diametrically opposed sockets, of a gripping device therefor, a'ving a fixed member and a relatively movable member, means carried by said-fixed member and adapted to enage with the sockets in said ball and means or operating said movable member to actulib movable member lriii to engage the sockets in sai bell,

ber mounted on said frame and operable to engage with said gripping means to move them out of enga in said ball and re ease the same.

In witness whereof I have set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses this 27th day of October, 1918.

ALEXANDER J. WATSON.

Witnesses WM. 0. Drum, Lnmn L. Mums.

Genie: or this patent may he obtained for he cents each, by dressing the "commissioner of Patents.

wumaten, D. 0."

ement with the sockets 15- 

